The Jiangshi was still in its gestation phase thus Han Yu continued to observe.

Hours passed.

The green symbol remained stable, its connections intact. The energy within the body continued to circulate, gradually integrating the changes brought by the Trust energy.

Han Yu did not leave the workshop.

He did not rest.

His attention never wavered.

Twelve hours later, the final phase began.

The blood within the pool started to drain.

At first, Han Yu did not react. Some level of absorption was expected. The Jiangshi would consume part of the blood as it completed its formation.

But then…

The level dropped further.

And further.

Han Yu's expression changed.

"This is too much…"

The blood was being consumed at an abnormal rate.

For a lower tier Jiangshi, this level of absorption was unheard of. Even higher grade constructs would not require this much.

The pool continued to empty.

Soon, only a thin layer remained.

Han Yu's eyes sharpened.

"This is no longer an Iron Skin level…"

He could feel it.

The structure.

The density.

The energy concentration.

Everything pointed toward something beyond what he had intended.

The final traces of blood vanished.

The corpse, now fully formed, slowly descended until its feet touched the bottom of the pool.

Silence filled the workshop.

Then…

Its eyes opened.

Han Yu immediately became alert, his body tensing slightly as he prepared to act.

This was the most dangerous moment.

The moment of awakening.

Many Jiangshi lost control here.

They would thrash, attack, destroy anything in their vicinity.

Han Yu had dealt with such situations before.

He was ready.

But…

Nothing happened.

The Jiangshi stood still.

Its gaze shifted as it looked at him. There was no madness in its gaze, no hostility nor any instability.

Instead… It stepped forward. Then slowly lowered itself onto one knee.

Han Yu froze.

The Jiangshi bowed its head.

"Master."

The word was clear and came out calmly in a natural manner.

Han Yu's eyes widened.

This was wrong.

Jiangshi could speak, yes.

But only after commands were embedded. Only after control layers were established. Only after a process.

And yet… This one had spoken on its own.

Without instruction and without prompting.

Han Yu immediately extended his spirit sense, scanning its body thoroughly.

Every layer.

Every structure.

Every core.

There were no abnormalities.

The cursed cores were stable.

The formation arrays were intact.

The Trust symbol remained at the center, its network connecting everything seamlessly.

Yet… There was something else.

Something new.

Han Yu focused on it.

A presence.

Faint.

But undeniable.

His breath slowed.

"…no way…"

He concentrated further, isolating that presence.

It was not a formation.

It was not a curse.

It was not an energy construct.

It was…

A soul.

Han Yu's expression shifted from surprise to disbelief.

"This…"

He stepped closer, his gaze locked onto the Jiangshi.

"This should not exist."

Jiangshi did not possess souls.

They were empty vessels animated by curses and formations. Only the highest grade Jiangshi could develop something resembling a soul, and even then it was rare and unstable.

Cursed spirits had souls because they were born from them.

But this…

This was a newly formed Jiangshi.

And yet…

It had one.

Han Yu stared at it, his mind racing.

"…what have I created?"

Han Yu did not rush.

Even though excitement stirred within him, even though the discovery before him had already surpassed everything he had expected, he forced himself to remain methodical. What stood before him was not something he could afford to misjudge. A single error in understanding could lead to consequences far beyond his control.

The Jiangshi remained kneeling; still, silent and waiting for his command. Han Yu took a step forward, his gaze sharp and analytical.

"Stand," he commanded.

The Jiangshi obeyed immediately.

There was no delay, no stiffness, no unnatural jerk in its movement. It rose smoothly, like a trained cultivator responding to a superior. The motion alone was enough to make Han Yu's eyes narrow slightly.

Most Jiangshi moved in a rigid manner, their limbs responding with slight delays as the curse cores processed instructions. Even well refined ones showed signs of mechanical control.

This one did not.

"Walk forward," Han Yu said.

The Jiangshi stepped forward.

Again, smooth and balanced.

Han Yu circled it slowly, observing every detail.

"Turn."

It turned.

"Stop."

It stopped.

"Raise your arm."

The Jiangshi complied.

Han Yu continued, increasing the complexity gradually.

"Punch forward."

The Jiangshi executed the strike with proper form. The motion carried weight and coordination, not the wild, forceful swing typical of lesser Jiangshi.

"Kick."

It followed through with a stable stance.

"Jump."

The Jiangshi bent slightly, then leapt upward and landed with controlled impact, its posture maintained perfectly.

Han Yu watched everything.

Not just the actions.

The transitions between them.

There was continuity and flow in them. There was no wasted motion and no hesitation.

He folded his arms slightly, his interest deepening.

"Now… something more complex."

Han Yu walked to the side and picked up a wooden box from a nearby table. It was simple in design, secured with a small latch.

He placed it on the ground.

"Open this box."

The Jiangshi looked at it.

For a brief moment, it remained still.

Han Yu's gaze sharpened.

This was the true test.

Most Jiangshi would interpret the command in the simplest possible way. They lacked the capacity to understand intent beyond the most direct interpretation. If told to open a box, they would break it.

Smash it.

Tear it apart.

That was how they functioned.

The Jiangshi stepped forward.

It crouched slightly.

Its hand moved toward the latch.

Han Yu's eyes widened faintly.

The fingers grasped the latch carefully.

Lifted it.

Then the lid was raised, slowly and cleanly.

The box opened and was fully intact.

Han Yu stood still.

"…interesting."

This was not basic command execution.

This was understanding.

Not deep understanding.

But enough, enough to distinguish between breaking and opening.

Han Yu exhaled slowly, his mind already forming conclusions. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"This level…"